The Way We Are
by oceanblues496
Summary: During a party, each of their lives will transform. They won't expect the changes, yet they'll have to accept them. Will this lead to opening new doors for the Kingdom Hearts crew, or closing old ones? High school fanfic.
1. What You Got, Sora

**Author's Note: **This will be one of many Kingdom Hearts fanfics to come from me, yet I've decided to start with this particular story. For a future reference, there will be multiple pairings and I hope you'll stay around to read and watch them all grow. Please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **All characters respectfully belong to Square Enix and Disney. The title chapter is a song that belongs to Colby O'Donis.

* * *

><p>The Way We Are<p>

_Preface:_

_In high school, there isn't room for error. One mistake - even if you don't consider it one - could lead you to be labeled as something you are not. For most schools, that's the case, and for Destiny High School, it definitely applies. Since the very beginning of the year, the students assembled themselves together in their own cliques and no body dares to explore outside of them. But for a group of close-knit friends, things seem to take a different turn this year. When everyone in their graduating class comes together for a huge birthday party for Selphie Bertrand, the most popular girl in the school, will this lead to opening new doors or closing old ones?_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1 - What You Got [Sora]<span>

A _typical_ day. A _typical_ lunch. His _typical_ friends.

That had been the case every year since Sora Kimura had attended Destiny High School from the start of fourteen. He considered himself an easy going and fun person to be around, even if some of his teachers disagreed with that statement. He most certainly wasn't the most popular guy in school, but at least he wasn't at the bottom of the food chain. Sora Kimura was simply normal, living the _typical_ teenage life. He had average grades, standard friends, and ordinary parents. Not so bad, right?

Wrong.

This year, Sora wanted to be different from everyone else, even if that meant looking like fool while doing it. For the past several months, he had become the school's class clown. By all means, it wasn't the smartest idea of his, but it helped keep creeps like Axel Tanaka off his back. The senior had had something against him the first day he set foot into the school, and Sora had grown tired of his aggravating ways. As long as the sophomore stayed funny and joked around about his classmates, Axel kept his distance. If Sora secretly made fun of people, that would give Axel the excuse to pick on them - not him.

"Sora!" A hand waved in front of his face, "Are you just going to keep staring into outer space or am I going to have to slap you?"

That was from his bubbly and very cute friend Kairi Ishikawa (also his crush since elementary school). Sora blinked his azure orbs a few times, and then whirled his head to the side.

"No," he stuck his tongue out, "I was just thinking."

"Thinking?" his cousin, Roxas Fukuda asked. "You've been doing a lot of that lately."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, opening up his crumbled brown paper lunch bag to see what his mother had packed for him for the afternoon. He prayed it wasn't another one of her failed recipes from her weight loss diet. Thankfully, he pulled out a regular peanut better and jelly sandwich from inside, and a fresh apple. Sora lied them out in front of him and started unraveling the sandwich from the plastic wrapper Mrs. Kimura had covered it in.

"Uh oh," Roxas mumbled into his hand, spotting Axel enter the rambunctious lunch room with his arm draped around his girlfriend's shoulder. Sora glanced behind him, his back facing Axel. He rolled his eyes automatically in disgust as he watched the red haired senior's hand slide down to Xion Sato's butt, and grab it like it was a piece of meat.

"Why does she stay with him?" Sora drawled out, turning back to the group and stuffing more bread into his mouth as he waited for an answer.

"Because," Namine Ogawa quickly looked up from her sketch book, which she hadn't put down since the beginning of lunch, "She's just like him - loud, rebellious, and a stoner."

"Wow Namine," Roxas whistled through his teeth, "I didn't know you had such a mouth."

Kairi playfully slapped his arm, for she was sitting beside him, and rested her elbows on the table.

"Shut up, you! At least she's telling the truth. Xion obviously has some insecurities if she's hanging out with the likes of that loser. I remember when she use to be a nice girl."

"Yeah, 'use to be'," Roxas pointed out. In turn, Kairi rolled her violet colored eyes, clearly not seeing the point in arguing with him any further. So this was how Sora's days usually went. His friends would talk, he add in his opinions, and they'd eat their lunch. If they were fortunate, a fight would break out and they would watch from their table on the second floor, overlooking the entire lunch room to their pleasure.

Bored from the conversation Kairi was having with Roxas about the upcoming PEP rally, Sora's eyes wandered to the bottom where he could see a circle of people starting to gather around two boys. He squinted to get a better look, and slightly pulled back from the scene starting to unfold.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Namine's quiet voice piped up next to him.

"You tell me," he aimed his finger below, glancing back at Namine to see what she made of the situation.

"Isn't that Riku Nakajima?" she inquired. Sora took a closer look, standing up from the bench, and peering over the metal bar and glass that protected him from falling over. Namine was right - however - not much to his surprise. Nonetheless, Sora examined every action Axel was making towards the not amused boy, whose long hair was a strange color of gray. Sora could clearly hear the conversation from the degree Axel was speaking from.

"Fuck you, Nakajima! What do you know about me? Just go back to your prissy volleyball team and mind your own damn business!"

"_Oh yeah_," Sora thought to himself, "_Riku's the star player on the Seagulls, I almost forgot. So then what started this?" _

People jumped to the side, making a path for the steaming red-head as he turned on his heel towards his awaiting raven-haired girlfriend. But that wasn't enough for Riku. He sauntered over to Axel's table, clearly not impressed with the way the senior left things, and tapped him roughly on his broad shoulder.

"What the fu-!" Unfortunately for him, Axel never got to finish his sentence. Riku had heaved a full-pledged fist straight to Axel's face, and when the volleyball player jerked back, blood started pooling out of the upper classmen's noise.

"Nice job," Sora snorted, getting amusement out of the entire thing. At that point, Kairi and Roxas had joined him at his side - Namine deciding to sit this one out.

Axel groaned, shaking his head from a light haziness, and shot up from his seat. He charged at Riku with every bit of hatred in his body, and wringed his hands around the sixteen year old's neck.

"Oh my gosh!" Kairi screamed, "Someone has to stop them!" Sora ignored her pleas, continuing to watch Axel choke Riku half to death when his attention suddenly diverted over to a familiar blonde making her way through the mass of students that had gathered around them.

"Namine!" Roxas' mouth dropped open, and for that matter, so did Sora and Kairi's.

The petite girl pushed people aside with all her might, and rushed to the front of the fight. Axel was too busy strangling Riku to notice Namine come up from behind him, and he definitely did not expect what came next from her.

"Axel! Let him go!" Namine cried, lodging her tiny foot into his manhood. That sent a shocking impulse through out his complete body.

"Oaf!" he called out, immediately dropping an unconscious Riku to the floor as he grabbed the spot where he had been kicked. Everyone blinked, unsure of what had just happened, and watched as Namine hurriedly rushed to the Seagulls' star player's side. His face had gone pale, and the girl feared the worst. She felt warm tears starting to form in her cerulean eyes as she touched the side of his face gently. She peeked through her curtain of blonde locks and noticed nobody was doing anything, merely standing around and gaping at the scene.

"Just don't stand there!" she shouted, red-faced and tear-streaked, "He needs help! Call the nurse!"

Roxas jumped into action, practically flying down the stairs as he ran over to Namine in the midst of trying to catch his breath.

"I'll go get her!" he offered. Namine nodded appreciatively, and turned her attention back to the motionless boy in her arms. Roxas darted out of the cafeteria, somewhat hurt that Namine cared more for the "school whore" than himself, but that just goes to show you how quickly someone's feelings could change in a tragic instant.


	2. Ridin Solo, Riku

**Author's Note: **Here's the second chapter of _The Way We Are_. This time around you're introduced to Riku, who could really care less about your feelings. Don't get me wrong, he's one of my favorite characters! His personality in some of my works aren't similar to this at all. It was interesting for me to switch his demeanor up. Anywho...please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong respectably to Square Enix and Disney. The title name belongs to_ Jason Derulo_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 2 - Ridin' Solo [Riku]<span>

Riku Nakajima had it all - looks, money, girls, and sports. Volleyball was his entire life. There was a reason why he was the star player on the team. He grew up living and breathing the sport, and he's never stopped since he was a little kid. His best friend, Cloud Ogawa, came behind him in close second and the two players would sometimes stay late after school to practice when everyone had gone home. However besides his athletic abilities, he was also pretty well known around school as the "Seagull Snatcher." This name he had earned from sleeping with every girl he could get his hands on. It didn't matter what age, as long as you weren't a Freshman. He was loathed by all the guys, yet hated by most of the girls. Riku never actually committed himself to anyone in particular, and when it came down to feelings, he rarely had any of his own. Yet, he didn't understand why he had punched Axel in the first place. Was it because of his snaky attitude towards Xion or was it the way he was taunting the younger classman? Either way, he had to come up with a story before he was called down to talk to their principal, Mr. Diaz.

After the nurse had cleared him to go, he left in a hurry to his locker and grabbed his books for his next class.

"Ugh," he grunted, "What period is this?"

"Riku? Is that you?" a voice echoed from down the hallway. He peeked an eye out from behind his locker door - bracing himself for someone he didn't want to talk to - and let out a sigh of relief. It was just Xion.

"Hey," she greeted him casually, quickly coming up beside him. Riku hesitated to answer her, a little on guard for her boyfriend to come walking around the corner and run him out of school.

"It's okay," she giggled, taking note to his bruised neck, "Axel's in the principal's office. I decided to cut class for the time being. You just get back from the nurse?"

He nodded his head, slamming his locker door shut and beginning to walk to his next classroom. He had nothing further to say to her. However, Xion reached out for his wrist and caught him before he moved any further.

"Look, Riku," she lowered her voice, "Thanks for uh…helping me. It's just that Axel was-."

"High?" he snapped, whirling around to look at her. The raven-haired girl tensed up at the coldness in his voice, but then proceeded to go on with her story.

"Yeah, he was high, but it was some new thing he was trying out. I guess whatever it was, made him more tipsy than usual and he lost control of himself."

"That doesn't excuse him for feeling you up and practically ripping your shirt off in the middle of the hallway," Riku harshly spoke. After all, he had been there the whole time Axel was tempting the girl. It wasn't like he couldn't see what was going on. Riku shook her fingers off his wrist and waved her a goodbye. He didn't want to hear her sob story. That was what Axel was there for; to be by his girlfriend's side no matter what. Wait, where did he get off concerning himself about their relationship?

Feeling a dizzy spell coming forth, Riku raised a shaky hand to his head and ran it through his lengthy hair before proceeding into the classroom he stood outside of. When he opened the door, he was welcomed with a bunch of curious eyes and whispers. Mr. Zexion had stopped reading from his literature book when he saw his student walk in from the corner of his glasses.

"Ah, Mr. Nakajima," Mr. Zexion snapped his book shut, "I've been expecting you."

"Sorry," Riku promptly apologized, "I was in the nurse's office."

"And now you're going to see the principal," the teacher shooed him away with his hands, "I don't need trouble makers in my classroom."

Riku took this to offense. Since when was he considered a problem child with the teachers? The whole faculty treated him with the utmost respect because of his father, Mr. Richard Nakajima, who supplied the school with brand spanking new computers every year. There was no doubt in his mind that his father had already heard about his son's doing and now he was dreading every second as he headed to the Main Office.

When he arrived, a secretary who had a plump face which was piled on with make-up, directed him to Mr. Diaz's office and left him alone in the room. His day couldn't have gotten any worse. There Axel Tanaka was, smirking in his seat at the far corner of the room. From what Riku could observe, the senior's face was a little bruised up - his nose red and purple from the break Riku had given him. Riku took the chair positioned right in front of the principal's desk, and glared at Axel with his piercing aqua eyes.

"Hey, pretty boy," Axel growled, resting his elbows on the upper half of his legs, "Who do you think he's going to believe? The rich kid who's father gives him everything he wants? Or the stoner boy who's been in his office every single day since he's started school?"

"Gee," Riku said sarcastically, "That's a real tough one."

"Well, let's see who we have here today," a fairly deep voice intruded, the sound of a door swinging open behind Riku. The teenager turned to see Mr. Diaz flipping through some papers the secretary had given to him on his way back from his lunch break.

Mr. Diaz was a man of Latino descent. He was bald, happily married with two children, and had worked at Destiny High School as the principal for over ten years. He sat down behind his large wooden desk, and examined the two students occupying his room.

"Hello Axel," was the first thing out of the man's mouth.

"Hey, what's up Mr. D?" the green-eyed trouble maker asked casually.

Mr. Diaz hitched his thick eyebrows together, and shook his head in disappointment. Students are not suppose to be friendly with other teachers. That's a policy in the handbook. The same applies to the faculty. Stifling a grunt, Mr. Diaz's gaze shifted over to the clean and cut young man who had been playing with the hem of his shirt, obviously having no desire to be there.

"R-Riku?" the principal struggled to get the name out.

"Yeah?" he looked up from his silver hair.

"Son, what the hell are you doing _here_? In _my_ office?" Who was the formal one now, huh?

"Mr. Diaz," Riku said politely as possible, "I simply got into a fight with Axel. Now, can we hurry this along so I can get back to class? I don't want to miss anything important." With that, the ends of Riku's mouth curled into a fake smile and he could feel Axel trying to make a hole in the back of his head with his glares.

"Well then," the tired man cleared his throat, loosening his tie, "Please tell me what happened from the very beginning to the end."

Axel made his move. Setting his plan into action, he dramatically arose from his chair, stomped over, and pounded his tattooed hands onto Mr. Diaz's desk.

"Listen! I've done nothing wrong. I choked Riku in self-dense. He came over to me and punched me while I was enjoying lunch with my girlfriend. I was minding my own business, and he just comes along and goes ballistic like he was on drugs or something."

"Axel!" Riku objected, "You know that's not true."

"Oh, really?" Mr. Diaz lifted his chin up, making a skeptical face at the senior, "Riku, if you will, tell me your side of the story."

The volleyball player straightened out his back, wanting to prove to the principal that he was not guilty in the incident, and explained what he saw before lunch even happened. He had been walking down the hallway after he had just finished Algebra class, waving to the girls he had 'spent the weekend with', and stopped at his locker for his lunch money before he proceeded into the lunchroom. Cloud had a different lunch period than him, so he usually sat with Wakka and Tidus at their table. When he grabbed his money from off the top shelf, he heard a nasally voice come from the side of him. He knew who it was, he just didn't feel like getting his attention. Closing his door, Riku jumped back a little when he saw Xion leaning on the locker next to him with Axel kissing her neck rather...furiously.

"Get a room you two," he grumbled, brushing past them, while in the process of accidentally nipping Axel in shoulder.

"Yo!" the red-head shouted, pulling away from his girlfriend. Riku rolled his eyes - he did not want to start with him.

"What?" he asked, annoyed.

"You just walked into me, that's what!" Axel growled, stepping towards the cocky brat.

"I didn't mean to," he argued while crossing his arms over his chest. He's dealt with losers like Axel before, and his threatening tone hadn't effected him one bit.

"Axel, clam down," Xion came up behind him, laying her hand on his arm as if to restrain himself from losing his temper any further.

"Lay off," his snapped at her. He pushed her away without any thought. Clearly, he was on something. Riku could see it in his eyes, and surely it wouldn't have been the first time if Axel was high off of crack.

"Hey!" Riku exclaimed, watching Xion stumble backwards on her feet, "Be careful!"

"Whacha' gonna do about it, punk?" Axel tested, towering over him as if he was God. Riku was tired of his attitude. If he really wanted to do something, he would have done it already. _Enough of this_, he thought to himself. Tiredly, he stepped aside from Axel and motioned his hand forwards for the stoner to walk in front of him. At first, the senior narrowed his eyes at the younger classman, not sure if he was setting him into a trap or not. But shortly after, he decided the junior wasn't going to be pulling any of his tricks because Riku knew very well what he would do to him if he did.

"Xion," Axel called over his shoulder, but still keeping a steady gaze on Riku at the same time, "Let's go."

His girlfriend wasted no time flocking to his side, quickly recovered, and let him slung his arm over her shoulders as he guided her to the lunchroom. Once they disappeared behind the cafeteria doors, Riku followed in shortly behind them. He was about to walk over to his table, seeing his tanned friend Wakka waving his hand in the air, when his eye caught Axel groping Xion's butt. From the way she was reacting, she didn't seem too pleased being publicly humiliated in front of friends.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he shouted angrily, dropping his lunch money onto the floor.

"Hey man!" Wakka stood up from behind the table, "Where you going, ya?"

"Stay there," he ordered him. He didn't need Wakka and Tidus getting into trouble with him too. If they had joined in, the team wouldn't have any talented players left for the upcoming tournament next Friday.

"Axel!" Riku growled, marching over to where all the Loners, Druggies, and Goths hung out. After calling the troublemaker's name, he couldn't seem to remember exactly what happened next. Everything went down hill afterwards, and then he found himself in the nurse's office.

"I see," Mr. Diaz said, rubbing his hands together. When he combined the two students' stories together, he understood what had happened. But still, something seemed a little off. Riku might have suffered some memory loss from lack of oxygen, and he needed to figure what had happened before hand. Somehow, he had a feeling Axel wasn't telling the whole truth either.

Mr. Diaz - seeing how no one was going to give him any more answers - picked up his phone and called the secretary out in the office.

"Ms. Luca, can you please send Namine Ogawa in?" the principal asked politely, "Thank you."

He hung up, and turned back to look at the boys.

"I know everyone was a witness in that lunchroom today, but Namine was the one who stopped you Axel, am I right?"

"Yeah," he shuddered, remembering what the blonde had done to him.

A moment later, there was a light rap on the door, and a small girl with locks of blonde hair and azure eyes walked in. Riku didn't believe who he was staring at standing just a few inches away from him. Cloud's little sister had been the one who helped save him? That's not possible. Whenever he went over the Ogawa's house, she never peeped a word to him or her brother. It was like she was in her own little universe with her drawing pad, and nothing in the outside world existed to her. Quite frankly, he had thought she was a little strange.

"Hello, Namine," Mr. Diaz welcomed her with a warm smile, "Do you understand why you're here?"

She nodded, and quickly looked down at her fingers, which she had been playing tediously with since she entered the private room.

"Okay, now tell me, who touched who first?"

"Riku," her eyes briefly shifted over to him in the chair, "I saw him punch Axel in the nose."

"Then what happened?" he persisted.

"Axel ran after him and started choking him. He had his hands wrapped so tightly around his neck, I thought he was going to kill Riku," her tiny voice trembled as she explained. Suddenly, a slight blush spread across her face and she glanced up, looking Mr. Diaz straight into his stern eyes.

"Nobody did anything to stop Axel, and I was scared for Riku, so I raced down to the lower level and kicked Axel…down_ there_."

Mr. Diaz could see the girl wasn't very proud of the act, seeing how her face grew even more red, but she didn't seem to understand that she had saved someone's life. She did what she thought was necessary at the time and reacted rationally to the situation. The man knew his decision now.

"Okay, when push comes to shove, everyone in this room is quilty of something," the principal grimly told them. Namine frantically glanced up from her hair again - she was confused. Why was she getting punished? She hadn't done anything wrong, she merely was a witness. Or so she thought.

"Mr. Diaz," Riku spoke up, "I'm willing to take any punishment for Namine. She shouldn't have to be involved with this."

"I'm sorry Riku," Mr. Diaz apologized, shaking his shiny bald head, "School rules apply to everyone; nobody is allowed to touch anyone without their consent. Namine unfortunately did, and I must give her a punishment. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing my job."

"But-."

"No," Mr. Diaz interjected, holding a hand up, "Axel, you're suspended for two days. Riku and Namine, you will have detention with me after school for the next week. You are dismissed."

Axel was the first one out of the room, throwing the door aside like it was merely garbage. Namine left after him, scurrying out like a mouse. Roxas had been waiting outside the Main Office patiently for her and when she opened the door, he quickly joined her side, wanting to know what happened.

"So?" he asked.

"So?" she repeated, shrugging her shoulders.

"Namine!" he chuckled, "Tell me what happened, did you get in trouble?"

The quiet girl hesitated to answer her friend. She didn't want this going around school. She had already made a fool out of herself coming to Riku's aide like she one of the girls he actually cared about. To him, she was just Cloud's little sister, someone who kept to herself and didn't want to be bothered. That wasn't entirely true. She wanted to get the nerve to talk to him when he came over, but she seemed to never get the courage to do so. He was always so composed and nothing seemed to phrase him. He just took everything in with a deadpanned expression on his face and carried on with his life.

"I got-."

"Namine," a different voiced interfered with her answer. Roxas automatically scowled. He knew who that voice belonged to. The tenth grader wrapped his arm around Namine's shoulders and hurried her towards the school's doors.

"Leave her alone, Nakajima. She doesn't want to talk to you," he apprehended. Namine could hear the venom in Roxas' words, and she didn't like it. All Riku wanted to do was talk to her (which she never pictured would ever happen) and now was her chance.

"Roxas," she whispered, "Please stop."

"I don't trust him, Namine. I never have," he threw back.

"Let me talk to him. Afterwards, we can walk home together," she offered.

That stopped Roxas. The two of them had never actually been alone together, mainly because Sora and Kairi were usually with them. This would be his chance to finally asked her out properly...if he didn't chicken out by the time he dropped her off at her house. Reluctantly, Roxas slide his arm off of her, and let her go talk to Riku. He watched as she walked over to the volleyball player and rolled his eyes when he saw him give her a toothy smile.

"H-Hi Riku," she timidly spoke, clutching her hands tightly.

"Please, don't be nervous," he told her.

"I'm sorry," she dipped her head down, "It's just that, we've never really talked before, so I'm a little apprehensive."

Riku gave her a questioning look, was he really intimidating? Maybe that's why she's hasn't talked to him before because he scared her.

"Um…can we go somewhere and talk?" he whispered. He didn't want Roxas to overhear him and then decide to come along for the ride. He privately needed to thank Namine.

"Like away from school?" she blinked, confused by his question.

Riku nodded and moved forward to grab for her hand, but she quickly pulled away.

"Oh, I don't think that's such a great idea. Besides, I told Roxas I was going to walk home with him. I don't want to break my promise," she informed him.

"Okay," he sighed, disappointed, "Maybe in detention. See you later, Namine." He turned back in the direction of the office and disappeared down the hallway. Namine hoped she hadn't been rude to him. She definitely didn't want to give that impression to Riku. But then she remembered what he had said - detention. That would be going on her permanent record. Why couldn't she have just kept quiet? If she ever wanted to get into a good college, she'd have to be more careful next time when she wanted to help someone. Because if she didn't, no one would accept her in.

"Namine?" Roxas placed his hand on her shoulder, "Ready to go?"

She looked back to the hallway where Riku had disappeared and was suddenly saddened that she hadn't really had a conversation with him. She wanted to a least talk to him a little while longer.

"Yep," she pressed a smile, "Let's go home."


	3. We Didn't Start The Fire, Roxas

**Author's Note: **This is a quick chapter. Basically, it's about Roxas dealing with his inner feelings (once again) about Namine. Boy, wake up and smell the roses! From here on out, expect even more drama. Please read, review - and most important - enjoy! It would be nice to hear what you have to say about the story :)

**Disclaimer: **All characters belong respectfully to Square Enix and Disney. The song title belongs to Billy Joel.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3 - We Didn' t Start The Fire [Roxas]<span>

The next day, the fight from yesterday was already old news. Instead, everyone was buzzing about the return of Selphie Bertrand, the infamous girl who threw the wildest parities in history. Her parents had enough of their daughter's out of control behavior and without warning, sent her to France to her aunt who enrolled her into a private school for disobedient children. People were skeptical about it at first, because no matter how hard you tried to contain her, Selphie would never let you bring her down.

Nonetheless, she was clearly 'better' than she was before. Her parents wouldn't have returned her to Destiny Islands without good reason, and now she was back once again.

School had just let out a couple of moments ago, the whole crew assembled together by Sora's locker. They were deciding where to go after to studying for the final exams of the year. Roxas suggested his house, seeing how his older brother Demyx had graduated high school last year and could help them with whatever they needed. Everyone agreed to this and started heading outside into the warm sunlight, with books and bags in hand. However, they froze on the spot when a girl's scream echoed throughout the entire school grounds.

"Ladies and Gentleman," she called, "Gather around!" It was Selphie Bertrand, flailing her hands in the air to get everyone's attention. Namine glanced back at Kairi, slightly hopeful she had some scoop on what the girl secretly was devising in that crazy head she owned.

"Kai!" Sora exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

"I want to hear what she has to say," she admitted, grabbing Namine by the hand and pulling her up the staircase. Roxas and Sora looked at each other, not fully understanding why Kairi would want anything to do with Selphie. The two of them were sworn enemies back in freshman year. Selphie had always been jealous of Kairi's looks and the boys who asked her out, and therefore a rivalry was born between them.

Eventually, Sora and Roxas retreated inside to where crowds of students were swarming Selphie from all sides. When Roxas looked close enough, he could see the teenager clutching a pile of papers in her hands. They weren't just regular pieces of paper either. They had decorative seals on them and embroidery. The wild child clearly had something up her sleeve.

"Alright!" she squealed, trying to avoid getting trampled on, "Calm down, I'll tell you about my party in a second."

Roxas rolled his eyes; he knew it.

"Okay, so my birthday's coming up. Actually, its tomorrow, and I'd like to invite all of you over to my place for the celebration. It's going to be the biggest party and the most extravagant, so make sure you come, because if you don't, you're a loser!" At this, she cackled like an evil witch or so they all imagined, "No, but seriously, you have to come. Everyone's invited!" She threw the invitations into the air, watching them float to the ground, and everyone scrambled to get one. Within seconds, the floor was clean of papers and people went their separate ways. Kairi had actually returned to Sora and Roxas with one, and gladly read it out loud to the group.

"You've been formally invited to Selphie Bertrand's Sweet Sixteen," Kairi mocked the Selphie voice, "Saturday at 8 PM at the Suppress Mansion. No adult supervision. Tons of drinks to go around!"

"I think we should go," Kairi immediately declared, lowering the letter from her face, "I'd love to see her reaction when she sees me at her party."

"But Kairi," Namine whimpered, "We have finals Tuesday."

"Relax," Sora butted in, "We'll study tonight, a little on Saturday, and then pull an all-nighter Sunday night."

Roxas wearily glanced at his cousin. He didn't particularly like Sora's idea, but he couldn't argue since he didn't even have anything to offer in replacement for it. The only thing he could do was just agree along with him.

"I guess so," he sighed outwardly.

"Great!" Kairi smiled, her violet eyes gleaming with delight, "Let's get out of here."

"Guys, wait!" Namine suddenly gasped as they started moving again, "I forgot, I've got detention today."

"What?" the three of them shouted, whirling around to look at their angelic friend._ I can't believe it_, Roxas thought to himself. Namine, the perfect student, the one who never was punished by her parents, the girl who didn't involve herself with fights. Wait, the fight from yesterday! She never got around to telling Roxas what had happened after she left the office, and now she was finally airing it out in the open for everyone else. The petite blonde nervously laughed and tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. She hadn't planned to tell them that way, yet what else would be _another_ way? Was it too late to take it back?

"Yeah," she drawled out, "It's because I kicked Axel, so I have to sit in class with Mr. Diaz and Riku for four days."

"Riku?" Roxas bellowed. He couldn't believe this was happening! She was going to have to be in the same class with the school whore for two hours? What if Mr. Diaz left for a brief moment and he took advantage of her? No one would be there to hear her cries for help!

"Namine," Roxas uttered, "You can't go."

"Why not?" she titled her head.

"He can…," but he trailed off. He didn't want to tell her the exact reason why, she would think he's just being paranoid. He shook it off, and waved the thought away.

"Never mind," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and beginning to turn from the group. Namine stared as he walked down the hallway and pushed the school doors aside. Roxas had been acting very strange lately.

"Alright, I've to get going," she remarked, waving to Sora and Kairi. She didn't want to make Mr. Diaz punish her anymore than she already had been. They said their goodbyes and watched as Namine hurried off to the classroom she ordered to report to, both of them a little uneasy about letting her walk away. They heard what Riku could do, about how many girls he's fooled around with, and they could only image what would happen if Namine weren't on her guard.


	4. Unwritten, Namine

**Author's Note: **Yeah, we finally get a flashback! I like writing those. Now I switched the game up a little here in this chapter, and it will be like this for the rest of the story. It's from Namine's point of view. For me, it's an easier method of writing. I hope this doesn't upset anyone D: Would you be so kind as to read, review - and most importantly - enjoy? Thank you for even clicking!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong respectfully to Square Enix and Disney. The song title belongs to _Natasha Bedingfield_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 4 - Unwritten [Namine]<span>

Thankfully, when I snuck into the classroom for detention, Mr. Diaz hadn't been there yet. Riku was the only one inside, his head down on a desk all the way in the back over, by a window. I quietly tiptoed over to a seat in the front, and rested my purse on the floor. I started pulling some of my books out so I could study, and inhaled a little stuffy air into my lungs. Studying with Kairi and the others would have been better than this, but I couldn't bail from detention. Besides, Riku was here, which meant I could talk to him. I glanced over, noticing how he was still asleep, and opened up my notebook. I quickly wrote a note before Mr. Diaz walked in and caught me. Crumbling it up into a tiny ball, I carefully aimed it at Riku's head and chucked it. It hit directly in his face, and he immediately awoke, dazed and confused. I giggled as I turned back to my work, and pretended to read in my English book.

After a good two minutes rolled by, the same ball of paper I threw at him returned back to me, landing at my feet in a swift motion. I picked it up, unraveled it, and read it underneath my desk:

_You shouldn't be sleeping in detention._

**Oh yeah? Then what should I be doing in detention? **

_Um…studying for finals?_

**Yes, because that's fun, Namine.**

_Then what's fun to you?_

I hesitated to send this back over to him, a little nervous about the answer I would get from him. I don't think he'd really go there, but how was I going to know if I didn't attempt to be friends with him. Now that we had a full conversation going, I crunched the paper together in my hands and threw it his way.

**Are you sure, you want to know that?**

_Sure, why not? Think I can't handle it?_

**Nah, that's not it. I'm just surprised.**

_Surprised? What for?_

**You're my best friend's little sister, and I've known him practically my whole life. Never once, until today and yesterday, have I talked to you. I'd say that's very pathetic. **

_Don't say that! I'm the pathetic one. All this time I've wanted to talk to you, and I always backed down. Can I tell you something, though?_

**Sure, shoot. **

_My brother told me to stay away from you._

I didn't get a response from him after I wrote that. It was whole-heartedly the truth though; I remember what Cloud told me clearest as day. The time was about a year ago now, and it was when Riku started coming over less and less. I was curious, so I asked my brother. He sat me down in his room, pulled out his yearbook, and placed it in my lap.

* * *

><p>"Open to page 28," he ordered me, running his hand through his natural spiky hair.<p>

"What for?" I asked, flipping through the pages of pictures of happy faces and such. I stopped when I came to page twenty-eight, and stared at it questionably. Nothing was wrong it, there were just a few names circled in red marker, but other than that, I couldn't determine what my brother was trying to show me.

"All those names circled, they're girls in my grade," he murmured. Riku was a year younger than my brother was. Currently, Cloud's a senior, which would mean he was a junior last year while Riku was a sophomore. I examined the pictures whose names had been encircled - which was probably more than a dozen - and still was not making a connection. Sure, all the girls were pretty, most of them had big breasts and slender faces, but was my brother trying to tell me something? Suddenly, an inappropriate thought entered my mind and I quickly shut the yearbook. I got up and threw it at Cloud, rushing out the room with a flushed face.

"Namine?" he had a hint of worry in his voice, "Why are you running away?"

"I don't want to know what you do in your spare time!" I shouted down to his room, slamming my door loudly before I fell onto my comforting bed. I grabbed one of my pillows and threw it over my head to block out Cloud's approaching voice. Was it wrong of me to think that of my brother? Mostly, he tells my parents he's going to the gym or something like that; I hadn't ever really thought he took some time for dating. He did have a serious girlfriend once - Tifa Lockheart - back in tenth grade. She had a very cheery disposition with these big brown eyes that would just absorb everything you said. Tifa had come over a couple times for dinner, but once summer rolled around, I saw less and less of her too, eventually to the point where Cloud admitted they had agreed it was best to go their separate ways.

"Namine?" my brother asked from the other side of the door, "Can I come in?"

I rolled onto my back, blowing some of my blonde bangs out of my face, and sat up with the pillow wrapped around my stomach.

"Yeah," I answered back. My door creaked open and Cloud's head poked in. He closed it behind him, and walked over to my bed.

"I can't believe you thought I was…well you know what I mean," he chuckled, rubbing his hand at the base of his neck slightly embarrassed.

"Then what were you showing me?" I lashed out in frustration, "Because I don't understand!"

Cloud sighed, and silently sat down next to me. I didn't want to sound like a whiny child. However, if that was what I had to do to get some answers, than so be it. I know he only looks out for me in my best interest; however, it gets annoying at times. People only recognize me as his little sister, nothing else. The only talent I'm proud about is my drawing, and my friends and family don't appreciate even that.

"I was answering your question about Riku and why he's hardly over here anymore. I'll put this simply - I don't want him here," Cloud told me sternly, giving me a severe glare, "All those names circled, they're girls Riku's had sex with these past few months. One of the girls in my grade took his virginity and he kept going back to her. But she didn't want him, so he started sleeping around with other girls to ease his rejection away."

When Cloud revealed that to me, I was speechless. Riku had a double life back then, and nobody knew it about it except my brother? Hardly unlikely, but that was what the outcome had become. The next morning when Cloud drove me to school, he told me to stay away from Riku. He wanted me to have nothing to do with him, and I didn't want to disappoint him.

* * *

><p>After I broke away from my daydreaming, I noticed that Riku had thrown the note back over to me. I hesitantly took it - I didn't want him to think I was a baby because I followed everything my brother said. I scanned his response and relaxed back into my seat.<p>

**He had worthy reasoning I suppose. I didn't have a very good reputation last year.**

_You still don't, Riku._

**I'm working on it. Hey, are you going to Selphie's party tomorrow?**

_Unfortunately, but it wasn't my idea, mind you. _

**Well, whoever's idea it was, I thank them. I'd like to get to know you better Namine. I guess what I'm trying to say is, do you want to go together? **

That had taken me by surprise. Riku never seizes to amaze me. He's just so forward with everything. I had to think carefully about my next answer. If I went with Riku to Selphie's party, things might get out of hand. Nevertheless, if what people say about her parties are true, than maybe nobody would notice little Namine hanging out with a star like him. Certainly, every person from school is going to be there…which means all of the girls Riku's been with will also be present. People get drunk, and when that happens, it's not a pretty sight. Besides, I think Kairi and the others would just be concerned about me the whole night if I weren't with them.

_I'd rather not get in trouble with my brother._

**Who says he has to know?**

_The whole student body, that's who!_

**Relax, I'd be secretive about it. **

_I'm not so sure about that. At least listen to my suggestion, all right?_

Yes, I was definitely not following the typical Namine rules.

**Do you my eyes believe it? Namine Ogawa is actually being bad.**

_Be quiet! We can meet there at the party. For the most time, I'll be with Kairi and the others. When I see my chance, I'll sneak over to you and we can hang out the rest of the night._

**Sounds like a deal to me.**

I read his last message just before Mr. Diaz walked in, and hastily threw it in my purse when he situated himself at the teacher's desk. He welcomed us to detention, and told us if he we spoke a word to one another, there'd be more consequences. We agreed, and just as I turned to look back at Riku, Mr. Diaz told me to face front. The rest of my time was spent studying, and it actually wasn't so bad. I had gotten most of the hard stuff out of the way before the weekend, so that didn't lead me with much more to read for the finals. However, while at the same time, my mind couldn't help but wander to what Selphie's party would bring. As long as I'm myself, nothing can go wrong. Right? I only can hope.


	5. Wrecking Ball, Xion

**Author's Note: **Here we have Xion Sato's perspective. I know not many people like her - and trust me, their reasons do make sense - however, I can't find myself to hate her. I simply tolerated Xion in 358/2 Days. She is just average. There's nothing of importance about her character. But please don't think I'm bashing her! I do support her and I am a fan of Xion. Maybe just not a strong of a fan as some are. **Be warned**, illegal activities will take place in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong respectfully to Square Enix and Disney. The song title belongs to_ Lifehouse_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5 - Wrecking Ball [Xion]<span>

Here I am once again, going for a drug run and doing Axel's dirty work. My stupid boyfriend was probably too stoned to even realize I was gone. Whatever, it's not as if I couldn't use the stuff I'd been sent for. I've pretty much become addicted to it, but if Axel found that out, he'd probably cut all ties with me, given that I owe the drug dealer a small amount of money since I've been receiving more than the usual and sneaking around with it. It's just the stuff is so good, and it makes all the physical and emotional pain go away. How could I not be addicted?

As I approached an old warehouse next to the sandy shoreline, I pulled the hood up of my black sweatshirt I had decided to wear before I left my apartment. It's just about on the brink of Summer and I've dressed for the Fall, but my self-esteem level is very low when I visit places like this. At sixteen years of age, I shouldn't be feeling like I'm as low as they come, but to face facts, it's exactly how I feel. I try disguise that I'm older than I actually am, only to make it seem like I've been handling drugs my entire life. One tiny little mix up and everyone's after you for ether ratting them out or for being taken in by the cops.

Quickly, I slipped inside the abandoned warehouse, and sucked in my breath. I glanced around as I walked towards a vague figure down at the other end of the place. It seemed like I was the only person that had come to visit, being how I saw nobody laying out on the pullout couches and getting high. My footsteps echoed throughout the entire building as I approached Doug Miller, a man about the age of twenty-two, but looked like he could be in his early thirties. He had shaggy ginger hair that covered his brown eyes, and he had this visible scar across his neck. Doug told me about it once, and that was only the ever time he brought it up. He didn't like speaking about it.

"Hey," I mumbled to him, his back turned to me as he began gathering my order.

"You've got my money?" was the first question out of his mouth. I nodded, and began fishing through my pockets for the fifty bucks Axel had given me after school let out. Once I found it, crumbled up into a tiny ball, I threw it over to the table that Doug was standing in front of, and he quickly snatched it up.

"Can I get my bags now?" I sighed impatiently, losing my control. I could easily see the stuff, not to mention I smelt it too, and my body was beginning to cross over from 'wanting' to actually 'needing.'

"Here!" he exclaimed, thrusting the packages at me. Lucky enough for me, I have stealthy fast reflexives, and immediately lurched forward to grab the bags before they hit the floor. I placed my order in my jacket's pocket, and waved Doug a goodbye prior to my leaving of the warehouse. Afterwards, I drove back to my apartment where Axel was anxiously awaiting his purchase.

"What took you so long, babe?" he asked, taking the bags of drugs from my hands as I pulled them out. He walked over to my beaten leather couch and sprawled everything out on the coffee table. I moved into my bedroom to get the supplies we needed and returned into the living room. I placed two needles and two rubber bands out in front of him, and took a spot on the floor. Axel distributed me a small amount of heroine that he had already put inside the tube of the needle, and then gave me a rubber band. I wrapped the thin piece of rubber around my scrawny pale arm, and watched as a nice blue vein popped up. Not missing a beat, I grabbed for the needle, sucking in my breath, and jammed the pin into me. Within seconds, the heroine had been injected into my body, and I waited for the release I knew would shortly occur. My boyfriend sunk into the couch, and let out a groan. He must already be starting to get high.

"Ax, are we going to Selphie's party tomorrow?" I randomly tossed out there. I was curious what his answer would be. I wanted to go. It sounded like a good time - beer, music, and no parents - that was my kind of thing.

He looked up for a brief second, and then tossed his head back. My vision was starting to turn blurry. He wasn't as clear as a picture as before.

"Sure, what the hell. We've got nothing better to do."

"Well, nothing says we have to go," I offered, "We can just stay here."

"Nah, we haven't been to a party in ages."

That I had to agree with him. The last time we had been at a party, we almost were busted by the cops. After that, Axel more or less wanted to stay on the down low for a while. He's already been arrested two times, and the third, the judge warned him he wouldn't get off so easily. I, on the other hand, had a clean record, which I plan to keep. Slowly, it was getting harder to speak to him. My tongue was starting to go numb, which meant I was getting closer. A pounding sensation in my head was also beginning to turn present. I lied down on the floor, and curled into a little ball before closing my eyes…and then everything went black.


	6. Gotta Be Somebody, Kairi

****Author's Note:**** Saturday night has finally arrived for the group of friends. That means some serious stuff is about to go down! But first, here's just a little peak into the preparation of the party. It's a really short chapter. Next one, will be slightly longer and more entertaining (I personally believe).

**Disclaimer**: All characters belong respectively to Square Enix and Disney. The title name belongs to _Nickelback_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6 - Gotta Be Somebody [Kairi]<span>

Namine Ogawa has got to be the hardest person in the world to dress! I've thrown every one of my outfits in her direction, and she turns _every_ single one of them down. I was just about ready to lose my patience, and we had only twenty minutes until Sora and Roxas came to pick us up and drive us to Selphie Bertrand's birthday bash. I couldn't predict which way this was going to end - ugly or fabulous.

"I've got to finish getting ready, Nami," I huffed, reaching for my hairbrush on my nightstand as she was bent over, rummaging through my clothes on the floor.

"Fine," she remarked, "I have to find something in here. While you do whatever you have to do, I'll continue looking." She was right (which she always is), it was no longer my concern to help her. Taking the opportunity, I darted into my bathroom and picked up my flat iron, which had been turned on five whole minutes ago. I began running the heated device through my auburn hair and carefully tried not to burn myself. Midway through, I wanted to check up on Namine, yet I figured it would be best if I didn't disturb her. Maybe she was finally on her way to successfully dressing for the party. Once my hair was done - it being burned to the crisp - I slathered some watermelon-flavored gloss on my lips and pulled down my dress. I was wearing a cute little number - a knee length, violet colored, silky material, and a tiny bow that wrapped around my upper chest as if I was a present.

I marched back into my room, about to throw a fit if Namine hadn't found something to wear, but suddenly dropped my mouth the instant I saw her. She stiffly turned to me and gave a weak smile.

"Do you like it?" she meekly mumbled.

"Do I like it?" I repeated her words, "Namine, I love it! It looks so great on you!" I ushered over to her, and wrapped her in a big hug. Boy, oh boy, was Roxas going to go crazy!

I pulled away from her and examined her up close and personal. Her blouse had countless ruffles that ran down her front, colored a dirty white, and it had this big lopsided flower on the side that looked like it had been scraped together with any type of fabric material. Her skirt was a classic denim mini and a chain was tied around her waist. Her feet had been paired with some black knee-high boots. I guess all I needed to do was step aside and let her decide. She looked really pretty, but I felt she needed an extra "wow" factor before we left.

"Turn around," I instructed her. She did as told, and I took one of my clips from off my dresser and twisted all her blonde hair into a ponytail. Namine's bangs were a little in her eyes, but I told her it made her look close in resemblance to a movie scarlet.

On that note, the doorbell shortly rang afterwards and we headed downstairs. I smoothed out my dress and opened the door to find Sora and Roxas smiling at us. Those smiles quickly dropped when they saw our outfits for the bash.

"Whoa," Roxas breathed, his attention completely focused Namine. I'll admit, I was a little jealous. After all, I'm the one who slightly has feelings for Roxas - not my best friend.

"Kairi, you look really beautiful," Sora complimented me, breaking my concentration. I thanked him, and told everyone we had better hurry. We did not want to be late to this party. We all crammed inside Sora's truck and began to make our way to Selphie's mansion. I was really excited. I vowed to myself that I was going to be a little wild tonight, and let nothing stop me. Maybe I'll be able to convince Roxas I'm more interested in him than I usually appear to be. It's going to be an interesting event.


	7. Live Like We're Dying, Sora

**Author's Note:** Sorry for such a late update. School keeps me busy with all the homework it assigns. Although, nothing would make me more happier if someone left a review! It would give me inspiration to write. Please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Disney and Square Enix. The chapter title belongs to_ Kris Allen_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7 - Live Like We're Dying [Sora]<span>

When we entered the driveway of Selphie's mansion, a valet who asked for my keys greeted us. Everyone stepped out, and we slowly made our journey up the walkway to the extravagant house. Music was already blasting from inside, and I swear I saw the house shake. The exterior of the place had lights flashing with different colors, varying from blue to red. Upon approaching the front, I glanced over my shoulder, making sure no one had disappeared, then reached for the doorknob. However there was no need for me, for Selphie had swung the door open before I could, holding a red plastic cup in her hand. She was by now wasted, the school she spent her time at already in the distant past.

"Whatssup, So-rra," she slurred in my face as we stepped inside.

"Ha, nothing much," I nervously chuckled as she stared at me with a seductive smile.

"Well," she hiccupped, stumbling forwards and onto my chest, "The beer is ovvvver in the kitchen, help yourrrselfs." With that, she disappeared into the mass of people dancing to the techno music where she _thought_ someone waved at her.

Kairi and Namine went after her - to make sure she didn't do something she regretted - while Roxas and I strolled into the kitchen. However, even that was a crazy mess. Bunches of drunks were slurping every bit of alcohol they could obtain in their cups. I rolled my eyes. I had never been one to tolerate drunken people. Although, I myself have never tasted beer in my life.

"Sora, I think I see Axel over there," Roxas tapped suddenly on my shoulder as I was reaching for a can. I almost forgot he was there.

"What?" I jumped, "Where?"

Roxas pointed past a small group of sluttish girls, and then I immediately recognized someone's fiery red hair as it came into view. I had really hoped I wouldn't be caught running into him here, of all places. The purpose of tonight was for all of us to relax enjoy ourselves. As I turned back to comment to Roxas, he was no longer beside me. Actually, he was nowhere in the kitchen. Which meant, now was my chance to have my first sip of alcohol!

Glancing around, making sure no one I knew was present, I grabbed a can of beer and snapped it open. I hesitantly lifted it to my lips and sniffed the beverage inside. It smelled decent; it's the taste that had me worried.

Pushing the thought aside, I took a tiny sip and slipped it down. After a brief second, debating if I wanted more, an obnoxious voice came up from behind me.

"Is that Sora Kimura drinking?" they asked. The prime culprit had to be Axel, seeing how Roxas had warned me beforehand after he disappeared somewhere into the party. But as I turned, expectant to meet with blazing emerald eyes, I met aqua. That's right, Riku Nakajima, in the flesh, standing right in front of me while I was about ready to chug down my drink.

"No!" I denied, hiding it behind my back. Like that wasn't obvious enough. He raised a silver skeptical eyebrow at me, giving a light scratch to his chin. This was so…awkward. Riku and I used to be really close friends back when we were in grade school. Yet once middle school came around, our interests were completely opposites of each other and he had found himself a new best friend. It wasn't as if I had a problem with that, it's just that he really had changed from a few years ago. When he dropped his hand back to his side, I caught sight of some faint purple hand marks around his neck. Oh, yeah…Axel.

"Hey, you know Axel's here tonight, right?" I warned him, even though I had no idea why.

"So?" he shrugged, "If he wants to start something, let him."

Clearly, Riku had been unfazed by the whole scuffle. If only I could get hold of some of that tough exterior like he has. If I did, there'd be no doubt in my mind that I would get the courage to ask Kairi out and not to mention, deal with stupid Axel Tanaka myself.

"Is there something you want, Riku?" I inquired, noticing his uncomfortable stance in front of me. His eyes flicked to their rightful corners, and he coldly stared at me for a brief second. I took a step back; a little frightened I had used a tone that may have offended him.

"I don't know if I should ask you," he simply replied. Okay, well now he's caught my curiosity. Of course I'm going to want to know now! I placed the can of beer on the counter, not caring if someone took it, and turned my attention back to Riku. Even if we weren't friends now, we still use to be. I offered my complete cooperation to him.

"Where's," he faltered, a bit unsure I suppose, "…Namine?"

I immediately tensed up at hearing my friend's name, and caught my breath. Riku Nakajima was asking for innocent Namine. That was not a good sign. Even if I did know where she was, I definitely would not tell _Seagull Snatcher _over here. For Pete's sake, I'm pretty sure Nami is still a….well you get the idea. There is no way I'm telling Riku anything about her.

"I'm not sure. She's probably dancing with Kairi somewhere," I truthfully responded. I hoped my answer was good enough for him seeing as his posture slightly relaxed.

"Thanks," he smiled, whirling on his heel and heading towards the direction of the pounding music. Yet, I was still curious. What business did Riku have with Namine? Sure, her brother was his best friend, however, not once since I've known her, have I seen her talk to Riku. Then I remembered…didn't she have detention yesterday with him? Did something happen between them?

"Riku!" I called to him over the music. Thankfully, he had heard me, and glanced over his shoulder at me. I stepped behind him, and turned him around to look at me the best way I could.

"What is it Sora?" he asked rather impatiently.

"Why Namine?" I shouted to him.

"What?" I could see his face strain to hear what I had said.

What do you want with Namine!" I practically screamed. That had caused some eyes to turn and look at me.

"I just need to talk to her," he slapped my hand away, and once again, turned to walk to the family room. However, this time, I didn't stop him from leaving. I had to make sure to warn Namine beforehand, and not to mention Roxas and Kairi. I walked back over to the marble island and grabbed the beer that I had yet to finish. I casually rested my elbows on the edge of the counter, and took small sips of the alcohol. But it tasted so good, and my head was spinning so much I felt like I was on cloud nine. Within minutes of my first beer, I grabbed for another one…and another one…and too many to count after that. Hell, I forgot how many fingers I had!


	8. She Will Be Loved, Riku

**Author's Note: **Riku and Xion have a little more interaction this time. Good news, school's almost over which means I can write more! I thought the day would never come. Please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix and Disney. The title song belongs to _Maroon 5_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8 - She Will Be Loved [Riku]<span>

As I pushed through the crowd of drunken teenagers, I carefully looked for a blonde head bobbing up and down, similar to the color of Namine's. I could easily text her and ask her where she was, but I figured that would be obvious enough to Kairi and the others. Sighing, I rounded in a circle and still saw no sign of her. I was about to head back to the kitchen, when a calloused hand grabbed my arm and stopped me from proceeding from going back.

"What do you want?" I snapped harshly, thinking it was either Sora or Axel. However, it wasn't. It was Xion, blinking her blue jewels at me.

"What's your problem?" she hissed at me. Sheepishly, I apologized for my sudden burst of anger, and I pulled her over to a quieter spot in the corner of the rambunctious room. She had two pink bobby pins in her hair, which enabled me to see her face a bit better, and she had on a checkered top and shirt. It was a classical outfit for Xion. Moreover, I must admit, she looked cute in it.

"Are you having fun?" she asked, bouncing away to the music and swaying her hips. I could not resist my next answer.

"Nah, it just started getting good when you joined me."

Her face slightly flushed at my comment, and she briefly looked away from me. This only made me want to pursue what I had started. I cupped my hand around her chin and made her look at me.

"Do you wanna have some fun tonight, Xion?" I titled my head to the staircase to my left. I gently brushed my lips against hers before she could answer. She looked so cute when she was thinking.

"What happens if Axel catches us?" she questioned. I hadn't thought of that, and really, I didn't care about the asshole. If she thought Axel getting mad would make a difference, she was surely mistaken. I didn't respond, instead, I grabbed her hand and pulled her forwards, guiding her up the stairs. We passed a few people from our school along the way, to which each one of them shot us a dirty glare. I knew the very reason as to why they gave me a nasty look. However, what right gives them to gaze down upon Xion? As far as my understanding goes, she hadn't pissed on any one's puppy as of late and I'm positive none of her classmates would want to come any where near her for the reason she's in a relationship with one of the biggest assholes in town. It didn't take long for us to find a spare bedroom in the back of the house - surprisingly no one had fooled around yet. Exactly what kind of party was this, again?

I shut the door behind me as Xion entered the room prior to me, and I loosened the collar of my shirt as I turned on the light. The interior of the inside was too fancy for my taste. The walls were painted a shimmering gold tint and the furniture looked as if it cost a fortune. Everything had at least one floral pattern on it, with a touch of glitter occasionally spread about the pillows. God, I prayed this wasn't Selphie's room or her parents. It would be the last thing that I would want - and trust me - I don't ask for much.

As I scavenged the draws for condoms, Xion had comfortably situated herself on the king-sized bed. From some form of attraction unknown, I found myself desperately looking for protection as she began to take off her leather jacket. Was I really going to go through with this? Her boyfriend had almost killed me yesterday, and here I was, preparing myself to sleep with her. Xion was a decent girl, although I can say she did have a foul mouth. I'd been witness to her cursing freshman and even her own classmates out in the halls. She was given a bad status because of her involvement with Axel. If she didn't put herself in harm's way for him, Xion would have friends. Yet, the only person she can rely on is the red-haired bastard.

I wasn't finding anything that I needed in the storage of the dressers, beginning to make me more anxious as time ticked by. There was a restless feeling in my body that I would be caught with Xion. For what ever the case, Sora telling me that Axel was evidently at the party was bothering me more than it should have. If it hadn't been for Namine, I wouldn't even be here and have to deal with someone as arrogant as him. Shit, I forgot about her!

"Crap!" I hissed under my breath and apparently loud enough for Xion to hear.

"Is everything okay?" she drawled out the question. No, nothing was ever just 'okay.' Life never seemed to want to walk on the right path for me. If there were something I shouldn't be doing, I'd get away with it - for the most part. Then when I actually make plans with someone - it doesn't matter how or why - I've caught myself in a lie. I was heading this exact direction with Xion, if she hadn't already figured my scheme.

As I took a step towards the bed, I held my breath for a full minute. Did I truly want to skip out on this girl? Honestly, I didn't. However, there was Namine to consider. She deserved an hour of my time; that much I owed her. Joining Xion on the mattress, I tried my best to form a face of redemption.

"I'm really sorry about this. I really did want to do at least _something_ with you, but I have a girl already waiting for me down there. Could we do this another time?" I tried to come to an agreement. Xion, with her dark hair falling into her face, turned herself around in the opposite direction of me. That bad, huh? I didn't question her any further, possibly because I didn't want to know if she was texting her boyfriend about my attempted pass on her. Sighing, I rose onto my feet and strolled forwards to the door. If I wasted more time on this incident, I was going to let down Namine. I wanted to know her better, or maybe some other component of my body did. I grabbed the doorknob - and before I opened the door - I checked over my shoulder to make sure Xion wasn't crying. Her being upset would be the least of my problems; I really hate a whiny girl.

Surprisingly, sobbing wasn't painfully wrenching itself from her. Xion had moved onto the floor, sprawling out what seemed to be a needle on the bed. She was pulling a bag of white substance out from her skirt pocket and she placed it next to the medical utensil. I couldn't believe what I was observing. This girl was openly pointing it out to me that she was about to inject drugs into a part of her fragile being. Right now, she was a liability. If I didn't stop her and I left, she'd pass out (most likely) and say I had been the last person to see her tonight. It would came back to haunt me later on if I didn't try to postpone the illegal activity that was just about to occur in the same room as me.

"Whoa, whoa!" I exasperated, moving away from the exit, "What are you doing there, Xion?"

She glanced up from her murky hair falling in her face and innocently blinked at me. I sensed she didn't feel like she was doing anything wrong. That was where she was mistaken, at least to Riku Nakajima. I knelt down beside her and pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. What would possess people to do this to themselves? It could become an addiction - a deadly obsession.

"I-I'm getting a fix. Are you going to stop me?" she asked in turn.

My eyes scanned the drugs and the thin spike that was laid out on the covers. If I had to take a guess at what drug she specifically had with her, it would be heroin. Every one in school has taken health class at least once and one of the countless subjects they talk about with you is illegal contraband. They describe in detail and make us watch videos on what crack addicts lives had amounted up to after their addiction took control of them. Personally, I've always found the videos quiet disturbing. Besides, my parents would probably punish me severely if I ever dared to touch drugs in the first place.

"Let me ask you this, why are you putting yourself through the pain?" I wanted to know.

She threw her head back and laughed at the air. Xion then directed a menacing look towards me, her cerulean eyes filled with a new darkness than I had ever seen.

The sophomore scoffed, "Do you think I enjoy doing this to myself? Do you? I do it because I have to. It's the only way I feel numb. You should know all about that."

I could relate, however, only on a certain level. I slept my way through the populace of Destiny Islands High School because I feared of being lonely. Not only that, I also felt like I needed to make a reputation of creating this image of a bad boy. In my dreams, I wanted to be a successful millionaire. In my reality, my father was the wealthy man. What was Xion's fantasy?

Xion didn't even heed my effort to stop her. My words didn't matter to her. She was itching for her drugs. She began to loosen the cap of the needle and reached for the bag of heroin across from her. I couldn't stand to see her disrespect her health any longer. Before she had the chance to open the package, I snatched her wrist in my grasp and held it tightly in the atmosphere.

Xion slowly veered her head to the side. Her mouth was formed into a thin line, looking like it was on the verge of parting and spitting in my face.

"What the fuck you think you're doing?" she hissed. She yanked her hand away and hastily collected up her items in one sweep. The action I took was obviously misperceived as something entirely different. Then she darted over to the door and locked it from the inside. Xion turned her back to me, the objects still clutched to her chest. What crazy idea was she getting me involved with?

Beginning to push myself from off the floor, I questionably stared at the girl locked in the same space as me. The music from downstairs was beginning to get louder than it had since I arrived, the bedroom walls starting to rattle from the bass of the guitar and reverberated drums. If I tried to call out for someone to rescue me from this crazed woman, it wouldn't guarantee one person would hear my voice.

"Hey, I hope you don't expect me to stay here with you. My date's probably already worried about me. Wouldn't want -," I didn't get my two cents in because Xion had decided to abruptly cut me off.

"I'm not letting you leave. I'll tell Axel you slept with me if you don't help me out here. Trust me; I don't think you'll want my boyfriend to beat up your ass even more."

That's where I lost it. I paraded over to Sato still facing the door, whirled her around and cupped her face in my hands. The rage was beginning to build up inside of me. She was taking me down with her. How did I get myself into this situation in the first place? I've always hit it and quit it and left before someone had the chance to lock me in their house. In this case, I hadn't even done _that_! Xion was far more intelligent than I gave her credit for.

"You sneaky little bit-!" I stopped when Xion had raised a finger to my lips. There was a silence that wasn't quite comfortable with me. Almost as if she knew something that, I didn't. Eventually, she dropped her hand back to her side and walked around me over to the bed. She flung the drugs and the needle back onto the mattress and cocked her hip to the side.

"So then, are you in?" she smiled. Hell, this was going to be an interesting night. That's all I have to say.


	9. Mockingbird, Roxas

**Author's Note: **I've kind of been stuck in a funk with this story. I don't want to give up writing it, but it's been increasingly difficult to stay focused with summer in full swing. Please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix and Disney. The chapter title belongs to_ Rob Thomas_.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9 - Mockingbird [Roxas]<span>

After skipping out on Sora, I headed back out into the hallway that connected with the living room. Within such a short time of us arriving, Selphie's mansion was crammed to the capacity. Teenagers were already heavily intoxicated from the view I was able to see as couples grinded each other from both ends. It was such a disgusting sight. This whole plan to attend the party was not even mine to begin with! The more people pushed into me as I operated into the crowd, the more I wanted to leave and hitch a ride back home. I hadn't given the birthday bash much of a chance; however, there wasn't a need for me too. The volume and the mass of students spoke for itself.

My main concern was to find Kairi and Namine as fast as possible. The two girls had both been engulfed into the party after running after Selphie. God, I hope neither one of them was starting a fight with that girl. Tonight, we all said we were going to be on the down low. Especially after that brawl, Namine had involved herself in much to everyone's surprise. We were just asking for trouble if we ran into Axel or Riku. I know I already rested eyes on the angered redhead, so it probably wouldn't take long for the famous volleyball player to show.

As I forced myself to ignore the crude comments directed my way after accidentally knocking into people, my eyes scanned the room for my two friends. It felt like finding a needle in the middle of a haystack. The dark lighting in the house didn't exactly help spot them any easier. Dance music swirled in my ears, while different colored orbs of light followed at my heels. My classmates continued to bounce away with the beat as I tried to block it out. At that moment, I caught attention to a blur of auburn hair a few feet ahead of me. I squinted my eyes to get a better look; I was relieved to confirm it was definitely Kairi. Which meant Namine was hopefully nearby.

"You guys!" I shouted over the noise, raising an arm into the air to wave at them, "Wait for me!" Not sure if they heard me or not, I rushed over to meet them before they ran off again.

Namine was the first to greet me, "Roxas, I'm so sorry. If I had known Kairi had planned to harass Selphie with pointless questions for about ten minutes straight, I would have left and joined you instead."

Damn, I should have guessed Kairi was going to do something that foolish! I threw my hands behind my head and gave Namine a relaxed smile. She looked breathtaking tonight. I'd have to thank Kairi later. As if one cue, the energetic ball came barreling through a couple next to Namine and me who were having a little too much fun in sucking each other's faces off. It seemed she had been swarmed back into the celebration upon me catching up with finding them.

"I swear, Selphie's going to see my fist connect with her mouth if she doesn't start _telling_ me something," Kairi mumbled under her breath, while taking the time to fix her perfected hair with tiny fingers. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Namine eye roll and I joined in with her. This was the sixteen-year-old's big idea to start with, and every one in our social group had warned her beforehand she would be making a big mistake rushing in and attempting to get Selphie to talk about her trip to France. I highly doubt the time Bertrand spent there was to help her ease off the bottle. If anything, I'm sure it merely made it worse. The only relative we heard she had there was an aunt - which gave her even more freedom to do what ever her little heart had desired. Now that she had thrown a party in her favor, it just showed how 'cured' she truly was.

"Don't do anything stupid," I told her, earning a glare from the girl.

She crossed her arms over her dress and gave me the tiniest wink. Then she titled her head in the direction of Namine, whose attention wasn't focused on Kairi or me. The blonde-haired person was preoccupied, moving her own head from side to side as if she were looking for someone. I slid next to Kairi and pointed Namine's searching out to her. Her eyebrows lifted a half inch and reached across to her in the small space we had between each other.

Immediately, Namine was startled by Kairi's unexpected grip on her arm. It took her a second to realize where she was; almost as if she had forgotten, we were there with her.

"Are you looking for someone?" her best friend smirked devilishly. My crush flung her hair back and forth in a swift motion before answering Kairi.

"Uh…I was w-wondering where Sora was," she spoke softly. Right away, I sensed Namine falter in her response. The second Kairi asked her, panic flashed in her pale irises. There was a sickly feeling in the bottom of my stomach that was beginning to churn restlessly. Something in me knew she wasn't looking for Sora; the artist was sneaking around for a certain silver-haired slut. If that had to be my guess, I would assume I was correct. Namine was stuck with him in a classroom for two hours yesterday - who knows what sort of activity Riku had forced upon her in there before a teacher showed. I could tell the night wasn't going to end nicely for any one in our group. With Sora lost, Kairi annoyed over the fact Selphie wasn't nearly drunk enough, and Namine searching for Riku. Exactly, where did that leave me? _Yeah, stuck in the middle of my friend's problems._

"It's Nakajima, isn't it?" I asked, with more snide than I cared to use. This time, she stared me straight in the face. I had caught her and she knew I wasn't going to let it go so easily. She began to finger her skirt hem nervously as Kairi and I waited for an answer. Honestly, I don't think the redhead had a clue what was occurring before her. I had seen the way Riku had looked at Namine as if she were candy he just purchased at the store. It irked me of how blinded she had become after saving the jock's ass. It was almost as he could do no wrong in her eyes.

My heart only began to race faster when she finally spoke in his defense.

"Roxas, you don't know him. You might think you do from the rumors you hear, but you have to give him a chance at least! He's trying to be a better person, I think," her eyes spiraled down to the floor upon finishing her explanation. I moved towards her, prepared to grab her by the wrists and shake sense into her! However, Kairi caught me by the end of my flannel shirt and jerked my body back into place beside her.

Now, it was her turn to question her best friend's reasoning. For a fact, Kairi disliked Riku ever since she stepped into our school. His mere existence repulsed her. Back in freshman year, Nakajima had tried to make a pass at the fierce girl on her way to the bathroom. His assumption of her body features put her at least at rank of a sophomore, therefore he asked for a date with her. Kairi slapped him_…hard_, and he never went anywhere near her again.

Her hands flew into the air at the revelation and astonishment of Namine's innocence. She was going to let the shrinking teenager know exactly what she felt about the situation Namine had put herself in.

"What do you mean _you think_?" her hands fell onto her hips, "How many times can Cloud and I forcefully tell you not to touch Riku for as long as you live? The boy is trouble. He may play the nice guy on the court, but he is nowhere close to being guiltless in the retrospect. If you talk to him tonight, he isn't going to leave you alone. I hope you're aware of that. The kid gets everything he wants."

Thank goodness for the music, because Namine would have been further embarrassed by her best friend lecturing her about who she should associate and not associate with in front of everyone she knew. Still, it seemed scolding her for her stupidity only made the problem worse. Tears were brimming on the edge of her eyelids and her bottom lip began to quiver slightly. For this to happen meant Kairi and I went too far. However, I didn't feel guilty. She needed to hear the truth and she knew what the truth had always been. Riku didn't deserve her time.

She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her shaking hand. Once that was taken care of, her demeanor changed in an instant. Namine's face suddenly brightened and it wasn't because of me. Her lips curled into a fragile smile, her eyes avoiding me completely and overlooking my presence. _He _must not have been far. _He _was waiting for _her_.

"Excuse me, I see someone I know," she lashed at Kairi and I. With that, she stalked past us and departed into the crowd of drunks. I didn't glance back at her, my mind whirling in the mess she had thrown at me. She really didn't respect herself, did she? Riku would turn that against her, if Namine subjected to see him after the party ended. Why was she doing this? I was afraid of not knowing and concerned for her well-being.


End file.
